In the world of marathon running, some achievements mark personal breakthroughs, while others shock the entire sport and even reshape our understanding of human athletic limits. Just this past weekend in February 2026, at the Seville Marathon (Zurich Maratón de Sevilla), a staggering new record was set. 61-year-old French runner Mohammed El Yamani completed the race in an astonishing 2:28:23, smashing the men's M60 (60–64) marathon world record. That time not only means he maintained roughly a 3:30-per-kilometer pace at an age of sixty-plus, it also signals that masters-level marathon performance has entered a whole new era. This performance is highly significant. Previously the M60 world record was held by Irish running legend Tommy Hughes, at 2:30:02. El Yamani didn't just break the 2:30 barrier — he lowered the previous record by 1 minute 39 seconds. For runners at this age, every second shaved off is a defiant fight against physiological decline, and El Yamani's move into the 2:28 range is nothing short of a miracle. Even more legendary than the record itself is El Yamani's return to racing. This was not the predictable outburst of a veteran who never stopped training, but a classic "comeback" story. According to post-race information, the Morocco-born Frenchman, born September 4, 1964, had not competed in any marathons for a full three years before this Seville Marathon. That three-year gap was not caused by burnout but by injury. Long-term layoffs had cast a shadow over his competitive prospects. Mohammed El Yamani is no overnight sensation; he has piled up achievements over a long running career. At his peak, at the 2001 Berlin Marathon (aged 37), he ran a personal best (PB) of 2:22:28. While today's time is roughly six minutes slower than that effort 25 years ago, the ability to maintain such competitive form after a quarter-century is astonishing. He is also a six-star runner. 61 years old, 2:28:23. El Yamani's run in Seville not only surpasses former record-holder Tommy Hughes, it serves as inspiration to runners everywhere. In an era obsessed with the extreme speed of young elites, we often overlook the incredible resilience veteran athletes show in their fight against aging. This new M60 world record will undoubtedly stand as a benchmark that runners around the world will look up to for a long time. Looking forward to Bekele and the rest of their 60+. #TrailRunningBoom #MustReadForRunners #WorldRecord #Running